Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Odor Fear Conditioning Modifies Piriform Cortex Local Field Potentials Both During Conditioning And During Post-Conditioning Sleep, Dylan C. Barnes, Julie Chapuis, Dipesh Chaudhury, Donald A. Wilson

Publications and Research

Background: Sleep plays an active role in memory consolidation. Sleep structure (REM/Slow wave activity [SWS]) can be modified after learning, and in some cortical circuits, sleep is associated with replay of the learned experience. While the majority of this work has focused on neocortical and hippocampal circuits, the olfactory system may offer unique advantages as a model system for exploring sleep and memory, given the short, non-thalamic pathway from nose to primary olfactory (piriform cortex), and rapid cortex-dependent odor learning.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We examined piriform cortical odor responses using local field potentials (LFPs) from freely behaving Long-Evans hooded rats over …

Correcting Mortality For Loss To Follow-Up: A Nomogram Applied To Antiretroviral Treatment Programmes In Sub-Saharan Africa, Matthias Egger, Ben D. Spycher, John Sidle, Ralf Weigel, Elvin H. Geng, Matthew P. Fox, Patrick Macphail, Gilles Van Custem, Eugene Messou, Robin Wood, Denis Nash, Margaret Pascoe, Diana Dickinson

Publications and Research

Background

The World Health Organization estimates that in sub-Saharan Africa about 4 million HIV-infected patients had started antiretroviral therapy (ART) by the end of 2008. Loss of patients to follow-up and care is an important problem for treatment programmes in this region. As mortality is high in these patients compared to patients remaining in care, ART programmes with high rates of loss to follow-up may substantially underestimate mortality of all patients starting ART.

Methods and Findings

We developed a nomogram to correct mortality estimates for loss to follow-up, based on the fact that mortality of all patients starting ART in …

Mccraken Knows Ulcers And Parasitic Worms, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Optimizing Radiology Peer Review: A Mathematical Model For Selecting Future Cases Based On Prior Errors, Yun Robert Sheu, Elie Feder, Igor Balsim, Victor F. Levin, Andrew G. Bleicher, Barton F. Branstetter Iv

Publications and Research

Introduction: Peer review is an essential process for physicians because it facilitates improved quality of patient care and continuing physician learning and improvement. However, peer review often is not well received by radiologists, who note that it is time intensive, subjective, and lacks demonstrable impact on patient care. Current advances in peer review include the RADPEER system with its standardization of discrepancies and incorporation of the peer review process into the PACS itself. Our purpose was to build on RADPEER and similar systems by using a mathematical model to optimally select the types of cases to be reviewed, for each …

Impact Of Insurance Status On Migraine Care In The United States, Andrew Wilper, Steffie Woolhandler, David U. Himmelstein, Rachel Nardin

Publications and Research

Objective
To determine whether insurance status is associated with differential outpatient treatment of migraine in the United States.

Methods
We analyzed 11 years of data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (1997–2007), which survey patient visits to doctors’ offices, hospital outpatient departments, and emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. We used logistic regression to determine whether insurance status was associated with the prescription of standard migraine therapy, defined as 1) a triptan or dihydroergotamine and 2) a prophylactic agent.

Results
We identified 6,814 individual patient visits for migraine, representing 68.6 million …

The Mds Mortality Risk Index: The Evolution Of A Method For Predicting 6-Month Mortality In Nursing Home Residents, Davina Porock, Debra Parker-Oliver, Gregory F. Petroski, Marilyn Rantz

Publications and Research

Background: Accurate prognosis is vital to the initiation of advance care planning particularly in a vulnerable, at risk population such as care home residents. The aim of this paper is to report on the revision and simplification of the MDS Mortality Rating Index (MMRI) for use in clinical practice to predict the probability of death in six months for care home residents.

Methods: The design was a secondary analysis of a US Minimum Data Set (MDS) for long term care residents using regression analysis to identify predictors of mortality within six months.

Results: Using twelve easy to collect …

Introducing A Multi-Site Program For Early Diagnosis Of Hiv Infection Among Hiv-Exposed Infants In Tanzania, Harriet Nuwagaba-Biribonwoha, Bazghina Werq-Semo, Aziz Abdallah, Amy Cunningham, John G. Gamaliel, Sevestine Mtunga, Victoria Nankabirwa, Isaya Malisa, Luis F. Gonzalez, Charles Massambu, Denis Nash, Jessica Justman, Elaine J. Abrams

Publications and Research

Background: In Tanzania, less than a third of HIV infected children estimated to be in need of antiretroviral therapy (ART) are receiving it. In this setting where other infections and malnutrition mimic signs and symptoms of AIDS, early diagnosis of HIV among HIV-exposed infants without specialized virologic testing can be a complex process. We aimed to introduce an Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) pilot program using HIV DNA Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing with the intent of making EID nationally available based on lessons learned in the first 6 months of implementation.

Methods: In September 2006, a molecular biology laboratory at …

Cationic Amino Acid Transport Across The Blood-Brain Barrier Is Mediated Exclusively By System Y+, Robyn L. O'Kane, Juan R. Viña, Ian Simpson, Rosa Zaragozá, Ashwini Mokashi, Richard A. Hawkins

Publications and Research

Cationic amino acid (CAA) transport is brought about by two families of proteins that are found in various tissues: Cat (CAA transporter), referred to as system y+, and Bat [broad-scope amino acid (AA) transporter], which comprises systems b0,+, B0,+, and y+L. CAA traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB), but experiments done in vivo have only been able to examine the BBB from the luminal (blood-facing) side. In the present study, plasma membranes isolated from bovine brain microvessels were used to identify and characterize the CAA transporter(s) on both sides of the BBB. From these studies, it was concluded that system y+ …

The Therapeutic Effects Of Exercise On Fatigue, Davina Porock, Mei Fu

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Of The Prefrontal Cortex Delays Contralateral Endogenous Saccades, Tony Ro, Avishai Henik, Liana Machado, Robert D. Rafal

Publications and Research

The contributions of the superior prefrontal cortex (SPFC) and the superior parietal lobule (SPL) in generating voluntary endogenous and reflexive visually guided saccades were investigated using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Subjects made choice saccades to the left or right visual field in response to a central arrowhead (endogenous go signal) or a peripheral asterisk (exogenous go signal) that were presented along with a single TMS pulse at varying temporal intervals. TMS over the SPFC increased latencies for saccades made in response to an endogenous go signal toward the contralateral hemifield. No effects were observed when the go signal was exogenous …

Psychiatric Outcomes In Low Birthweight Children At Age Six: Relation To Neonatal Cranial Ultrasound Abnormalities, Agnes H. Whitaker, Ronan Van Rossem, Judy F. Feldman, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Jennifer A. Pinto-Martin, Carolyn Torre, David Shaffer, Nigel Paneth

Publications and Research

Examined the relation of neonatal cranial ultrasonography abnormalities to later psychiatric disorder in 564 low birth weight children (aged 5.2–8.7 yrs). Psychiatric diagnoses were assessed by means of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children–Parent version, and detailed information was collected on other predictors and outcomes. Results show that 454 Ss had no cranial abnormalities, 78 had germinal matrix hemorrhage (GMH) and/or intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and 32 had a parenchymal lesion (PL) or ventricular enlargement (VE). 22% of the Ss had at least 1 psychiatric disorder, the most common being attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Isolated GMH/IVH did not increase …

Persistent Emotional Disorder In Children With Neurological Soft Signs, Daniel Pine, David Shaffer, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

Provides clinical details in the form of 11 case vignettes from a prospective epidemiological study that found the combination of childhood 'soft' signs and anxious behavior to be a strong risk factor for adolescent emotional disorders. The original study conducted a neuropsychiatric assessment of 180 African-American adolescents (aged 16–18 yrs) who had been followed through childhood. The at-risk Ss exhibited a persistent and specific pattern of both motor abnormalities and anxiety, obsessional compulsive, or depressive symptoms over time. The form of at-risk Ss' neurological and psychiatric abnormalities is consistent with a link between motor system abnormalities and …

The Report Of The American Heart Association Task Force On Strategies To Increase Federal Research Funding, Michael R. Rosen, Harold C. Strauss, Holly G. Atkinson, Alfred P. Fishman, Charles K. Francis, Arnold M. Katz, August M. Watanabe, Francois M. Abboud, Myron L. Weisfeldt, William F. Friedman, Bernadine P. Healy, Scott D. Ballin, Claudia Louis, Rodman D. Starke, Wallace G. Frasher

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Prediction Of Intellectual Deficits In Children With Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Paul Trautman, Candace Erickson, David Shaffer, Patricia O'Connor, Annaliese Sitarz, Antonio Correra, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

Possible predictors of reported lower cognitive functioning in irradiated children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were investigated. Thirty-four subjects, 5-14 years old, with ALL in continuous complete remission and without evidence of current or past central nervous system disease, were examined 9-110 months after diagnosis, using standard measures of intelligence and academic achievement. Subjects with a history of post-irradiation somnolence syndrome were significantly older at diagnosis than nonsomnolent subjects. Intelligence (IQ) was found to be unrelated to history of somnolence syndrome. IQ and achievement were unrelated to age at irradiation, irradiation-examination interval, and radiation dosages. The strongest predictor of IQ …

Ten-Year Consistency In Neurological Test Performance Of Children Without Focal Neurological Deficit, Stephen Q. Shafer, Cornelius Stokman, David Shaffer, Stephen K-C Ng, Patricia A. O'Connor, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

To assess 'soft-sign' persistence and its correlates outside a referred sample, 159 members of a local birth cohort of the United National Collaborative Perinatal Project were traced and their performance on six neurological test scales was measured at age 17 by examiners blind to their status at age seven. A comparison group was also formed, who had been 'sign-free' at age seven. On four of the six tests (dysdiadochokinesis, mirror movements, dysgraphesthesia and motor slowness) index boys did significantly worse than the comparison boys; by contrast, index girls scored significantly worse than comparisons only on motor slowness.

Early Soft Signs And Later Psychopathology, David Shaffer, Cornelius Stokman, Patricia A. O'Connor, Stephen Shafer, Joseph E. Barmack, Suzanne Hess, D. Spalten, Irvin Sam Schonfeld

Publications and Research

At age 17 two motor signs, mirror movements and dysdiadochokinesis, were found in more than half the subjects known to have had the respective signs at age 7. These rates were significantly higher than rates found within the group of subjects who were sign free at age 7.